Racing Party 9yr - Racing Stations

For my daughter's 9th Birthday she decided she wanted a Racing Party.  The challenge is that her friends are boys and girls- we had to make the party interesting for both.  This is also for birthday number 9 so I had to make the party interesting for these "cool" kids a lot of car parties are for younger kids- and a lot of stuff is to do with hot wheels- and we really didn't want that.  Ok here goes 

For the invitation, I picked up some 8 1/2 X 11 racing car paper for like 10 cents per sheet at the Party store.  I put it through the printer with the following message:  Attention Race Fans announcing the ______(our last name) Racing Birthday Extravaganza the Hailey(my daughter's name) 9.0!  Race Date At-The ____Speedway (our last name) then instead of RSVP I put a little "official sponsor" mom and dad and our phone number at the bottom of the invite.  It was cool. 

Along the sides of our driveway I put black and white checkered flags- homemade- with a graphic on the computer- I cut out the flags and stuck them on bbq skewers.  I got several different colours of balloons as well as checkered flag balloons as decorations as well. 

Each child signed in at the registration desk.  Our front deck had a registration banner there- the kids got a nametag, and were assigned a colour and a number.  The colour was either red, blue, yellow or green.  Their # was temporarily tattooed on their hand so they wouldn't forget it.   Everyone arrived (16 total including mine).  Their were four groups of 4- each split up by colour.  They took turns rotating from station to station.  I had a lot of help and at least one adult per station. 

Station #1: D.M.V. for driver's licenses. I premade simple "licenses" on the computer and covered them with collector card protective sheets that I cut up so each licenses had its own protective sleeve.  In the D.M.V. (my kitchen- also with a hanging banner overhead), there was a scale, a growth chart, and  an eye chart that I made. The kids stood behind the line and had their eyes "tested"  We weighed them and measured them against the growth chart.  There were blank spaces on the licenses for the helper at the DMV booth to mark in eye colour, hair colour, weight and height as well as if they passed their eye test.  Also their pic's were taken with an I-zone camera and their pic was stuck on their license. We had each license attached to a colicky ring thing that they wore around their wrist. 

Station #2: Speed Training:  In the basement my husband had two chairs set up in front of our big screen TV Each chair had "Driver in Training" posted on the back.  The kids were set up to do a speed test.  (One of my husband's Nascar driving games for the PS2).  Two kids at a time raced while the other 2 waiting their turn had stopwatches and timed them.  This was the easiest station- but needless to say-the kids' favourite.  The lights were all off and the driving effect was very real.  That game was one that the steering wheel was used with so one child used our steering wheel and we borrowed one from someone else so they could both drive with it. 

Station#3: Car Detailing.  In another part of our basement, we set up a big table with tonnes of decals, stickers and permanent pens.  We ordered the wooden race car kits from Birthday Express. We knew if the kids painted them they wouldn't be dry in time to race them- so we put together and prepainted the 16 cars- 4 of each of our colours.  The kids decorated the cars.  The only rule was that their # had to be visible on their car and their name had to be on the bottom.  The racing stripes were great -some girls even decorated their cars with flowers etc. 

Station #4:  Repair shop.  In our garage I had 2 "Rumble Cars" (Toys R US)- we had them from before.  The kids took turns letting the cars smash into each other and then they were timed putting them back together- this took a bit of time- but the kids loved it. Each station lasted 10 to 12 minutes.  After each child had completed all 4 stations we had a break for a "Pit Stop Lunch".  On the ground in the living room I stretched out about 4 large car play mats. ($1 each)  I could not find an appropriate table cloth.  These car mats acted as the table cloth.  We used solid coloured paper tablewear.  The centerpieces were nascar tins full of car chocolates (very cool) and we brought in some balloons to attach to them).  The kids sat around the car mats to eat.  We served hot dogs with carrot circles toothpicked on them to look like wheels- (racing dogs) also the typical chips fruits, pop etc. 

Hailey then had her cake.  Racecakes.com has the absolutely coolest racing cake pan.  It's a freestanding cake shaped like a racecar.  It comes with everything even icing- and then you put these edible decals on the car cake and a little plastic spoiler and it looks exactly like a race car.  Awesome-  After opening her presents we went outside.  It was time for the Big race.  On our back deck my husband had made a 2 lane ramp style free falling raceway.  He pre-measured the cars and made it based on their size.  The idea is like a Cub Car race if you've ever seen that.  Anyway, 2 by 2 the kids raced their cars.  The winning cars were placed on a table on one side of the track and the losers were placed on a separate table. After everyone had raced the winners raced 2 by 2 against each other and then the losers raced 2 by 2 against each other. Anyway they had fun.

While they were outside and after the race  we diverted them away from the racing area to a racecar piñata they banged on that for a while- we then brought them back inside to the living room for our awards ceremony.  In advance I had thought of enough award titles for each person to get-while the kids were hitting the piñata we sorted out who was getting what.  Ie- craziest car, fastest car, most creative design etc.  We made it so each child got something.  Anyway, while in the living room we had them sit down and then one by one come up to the front to accept their medal.  (I got these very nice medals at the party store for $1.50 each)  I was going to get a little toy trophy but they were closer to $4 each and I was running out of money) anyway they each came up and accepted their award.  By that time the 2 hour party was over and the parents were arriving. 

As loot bags I got the plastic racing helmets from b-day express, inside the helmets I put: a large nascar sticker book, foil wrapped nascar chocolate cars, yoyos shaped like a tire, a spinning top that made car sounds, a "hot rod" sausage (!), a pylon flashlight and a nascar car shaped beanie thing…as well as a car shaped eraser and a checkered pencil and one checkered flag.  I wanted to wrap each with basket wrap but that was going to be pricey too for 16  so I used our leftover clear leaf garbage bags- they worked great- I trimmed them up and tied them with a couple or ribbons.  They were excited by these and their medals, their licenses and piñata treats…it was a fun party.  I am very thankful for about 8 adult friends and family members who ventured over to help with this party.